Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Denver had sufficient reason to dismiss agent Cory Voorhis after he aided a political challenger to Gov. Bill Ritter, an administrative judge in Washington has ruled.

Judge Jeremiah Cassidy of the federal Merit Systems Protection Board was not persuaded by Voorhis’ claim that he was not trying to help the campaign of challenger Bob Beauprez in 2006.

ICE fired Voorhis for accessing the National Crime Information Center database to obtain the records of an illegal immigrant and failing to be “forthright” about his actions and motives during the ensuing investigation.

Voorhis’ four-year fight to get his job back might not have reached an end with Cassidy’s ruling. Voorhis’ attorney, Thomas Muther, says he intends to appeal, raising the possibility that the controversy could continue into the next governor’s administration.

The fallout has already touched Ritter’s camp, including forcing his deputy chief of staff, Stephanie Villafuerte, to withdraw her name from consideration for Colorado U.S. attorney.

President Barack Obama had nominated Villafuerte for the job, but she pulled out of the running after questions arose over her role in the Voorhis matter.

Villafuerte repeatedly denied that she had asked anyone at the DA’s office to use the database to confirm that Walter Ramo and Carlos Estrada-Medina were the same person in an effort to find out how the Beauprez campaign had learned the information.

A “zeal” to collaborate

Beauprez supporters used the information in a campaign ad that claimed Ritter had been soft on illegal immigrants when he was Denver’s district attorney.

The ad featured Estrada-Medina and highlighted his plea deal from Ritter’s office, which allowed him to avoid deportation. He later was convicted of sexual assault on a minor in California.

Cassidy ruled that Voorhis had showed a “zeal” that “led him to collaborate with people who were conducting opposition research in a partisan political campaign.”

Cassidy found that Voorhis had searched the database as a result of contact with Beauprez campaign manager John Marshall.

Beauprez was a congressman at the time, and Voorhis claimed he thought he was providing the information to Marshall. Voorhis said he’d believed Marshall was a congressional staff member, not a campaign worker.

Cassidy appears to have been unconvinced.

“Clearly, Mr. Marshall’s interest in those practices was politically motivated, and not an interest that could be explained solely on the basis of Congress’s interest in immigration policy,” her 44-page ruling stated.

A push to change policy

Voorhis testified in January that he provided the information to congressional staffers because he was disgusted by plea bargains being offered to illegal immigrants by the district attorney and wanted Beauprez to change the policy.

The former agent testified that the problem got so bad, American citizens were pretending to be illegal immigrants in order to score deals.

“While (Voorhis) arguably had a reasonable basis for his disagreement with the Denver District Attorney’s Office’s plea-bargaining practices,” Cassidy continued, “I find he should have realized the course he was taking was an improper one that might, if it came to light, create the appearance that the agency lacked impartiality with respect to the 2006 Colorado gubernatorial race.”

Cassidy noted that Voorhis is a military veteran and accomplished ICE agent, which weighed in his favor.

“Nevertheless, the appellant’s misconduct is serious,” and “the Supreme Court has highlighted the responsibility federal employees have to tell the truth.”

He called Voorhis “a poor candidate for rehabilitation.

“I find he has shown no remorse regarding his misconduct. Given his extensive experience and training as a law enforcement officer, he should have known such behavior was, at least, reckless, and could have placed his career, and the agency’s reputation, in jeopardy.”

Joey Bunch was a reporter for 12 years at The Denver Post before leaving to join The Gazette in Colorado Springs. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry. He likes stories more than reports.

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